Speak Easy in a Community Space!
Park Books is expanding into a coffee-wine bar! This project is twice as important and twice as expensive as what we originally expected!

Project Description
Our expansion into a coffee-wine bar called SPEAK EASY at PARK BOOKS has doubled in cost! What started as a $250,000 project is now twice that! Our building is old and many things need to be updated to be safe and eco friendly. Could we cut some corners? Possibly. But why should we? The bank has been there since the 1960s and boy can you tell! It's time to update the space and update it to make it the space we all want it to be. A space that is new, comfortable and classy. A place that not only welcomes all but truly becomes the community meeting place in the heart of Severna Park. Hope you'll be able to help!
We set our goal as 250K! While we most certainly need 500K, even half of that would be a huge help!
I'm generally not the type to ask for help. And while I can borrow every penny to make this happen, the idea of opening up the community space and the coffee-wine bar alongside the book store and the learning lab has been really daunting. I loathe the idea of having to charge money for every single community based activity we do. I love offering free storytimes every weekend and author talks and to offer the space to community groups when they need it. Someone recently said, "Melody, you should let the community know, as so many people would be happy to help!" So here I am. Letting the community know that this project is expensive and I want this project to benefit the community. And for it to do that, it would be great for Park Books to NOT be buried in debt from the start and for us to not cut corners in making the space eco friendly.
Our mailing list is growing. If everyone pitches in a little bit, who knows what could happen? Thanks for considering. <3
Updates
The Campaign FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What will the money be used for?
- For all building costs: New HVAC. 90K, New Plumbing 95K to include a greasetrap, Additional building costs of 317K
- What about the rest of the costs?
- We have planned for the rest of the costs and have planned to borrow monies and have been saving. Any money left over from crownd funding will go to those costs and initial set up of the coffee-wine bar. And, maybe we'll get a piano?!
- What is the vibe of the place?
- Do you like the bookstore? Think bookstore but better. The whole concept will be a comfortable, classy coffee-wine bar that will be family friendly. A place without an actual bar as we want it to feel more like a european style cafe where you can come grab some snacks and fine drinks and not drink from a paper cup. A place to relax. meet. read. A damn delight.










Just Because I Care

All supporters at this level will receive an exclusive variety sticker pack of SPEAK EASY at Park Books/Park Books stickers. These stickers make great swag for the car, laptop or water bottles!
All supporters at this level will get the exclusive SPEAK EASY "I tote my books to the wine bar" tote! Plus, an exclusive Car sticker will be inside!
All supporters at this level will receive an awesome, exclusive SPEAK EASY T-SHIRT that features our 3 featured products: coffee, wine and books! What could be better?!
Supporters at this level will get the tote, tee and stickers!
All supporters at this level will receive 10% off all coffee purchases for 1 year!
Supporters at this level will receive 15% off all coffee and book purchases for 1 year!
Supporters at this level will receive 20% off all coffee and book purchases for life! Plus you'll get the t shirt, tote and stickers!
Rewards
Just Because I Care

All supporters at this level will receive an exclusive variety sticker pack of SPEAK EASY at Park Books/Park Books stickers. These stickers make great swag for the car, laptop or water bottles!
All supporters at this level will get the exclusive SPEAK EASY "I tote my books to the wine bar" tote! Plus, an exclusive Car sticker will be inside!
All supporters at this level will receive an awesome, exclusive SPEAK EASY T-SHIRT that features our 3 featured products: coffee, wine and books! What could be better?!
Supporters at this level will get the tote, tee and stickers!
All supporters at this level will receive 10% off all coffee purchases for 1 year!
Supporters at this level will receive 15% off all coffee and book purchases for 1 year!
Supporters at this level will receive 20% off all coffee and book purchases for life! Plus you'll get the t shirt, tote and stickers!